


Hello, Goodbye

by dreamerfound



Series: Magic Troubles [1]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, West Coast Avengers, loki (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Loki joins the team, Magic, Post-Break Up, Team, Team Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23081959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamerfound/pseuds/dreamerfound
Summary: Kate is at the end of her rope. Things are getting weird in L.A., even weirder than usual. After three team members leave, it's hard for her to say no when someone very powerful asks to join The West Coast Avengers -- even though she knows he's trouble.Or the one where Loki joins the team!
Series: Magic Troubles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658893
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Hello, Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> * Johnny and Ramone have already left the team when the story opens. 
> 
> * This version of Loki is from the 2019 Loki comics series and references a couple of things from the first issue of that sadly short-lived series.  
>    
> * This is the beginning of a new series I've had in mind for a while.

"Are you sure you need to leave?" Kate asked. It wasn't so much that she wanted Noh-Varr to stay, she just didn't want to say goodbye to yet another team member.

"Currently, this location and my technology appear to be incompatible," Noh-Varr said.

"No one's tech is working right anymore, at least not in L.A."

"All the more reason for me to go." Noh-Varr swung his bag over his shoulder. "I will search for answers, if any are forthcoming I will return with a solution."

Kate crossed her arms in front of her chest. It wasn't like she really wanted her ex hanging around any longer than necessary, but she was worried about the strange occurrences that had been happening lately. This was an all hands on deck sort of situation. She didn't need anyone else to be abandoning the team just now. Johnny and Ramone had taken off two months earlier on some sort of soul-searching family journey thing and now just as things were getting even weirder than usual, Noh-Varr was leaving.

"Fine, do what you want. You always do," Kate said.

"Is that not what everyone does, Kate?"

"Whatever," Kate mumbled. She frowned at Noh-Varr's back as he walked out the door and her life, once again. Kate locked up and headed back to the dining room, where the rest of the team was eating pizza. She should be eating pizza. Pizza was one of the few bright spots in her life at the moment.

"So, Alien Bug Boy has abandoned ship?" Quentin asked, mouth full of pizza. 

"Looks that way," Kate said.

"I say good riddance, we don't need his cockroach ass bringing us down," Quentin said.

"Yeah, what we need is someone who's good at magic stuff, not alien tech stuff," Gwen said.

Gwen wasn't wrong. Magical wackiness had been increasing at the same time technology was acting all sorts of wrong. She didn't think it was a coincidence. She just didn't know how they were connected. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly a magic heavy team. She'd tried contacting Billy for some magical advice, but just her luck, both he and Teddy were currently off-world.

Kate ran her hand through her hair and sighed. She was exhausted. She'd been running on fumes for far too long. She grabbed a slice of pizza. It was room temperature. She shrugged. Pizza was pizza. The moment she took a bite, the doorbell rang. She hadn't even sat down yet. Maybe she imagined it? "Is that the door?" She asked.

"Maybe Spaceboy's back?" Clint suggested.

The doorbell rang again. "Is someone going to get that?" Quentin asked.

No one moved from their seat. Kate shook her head and headed back to the entrance. She kinda hoped Noh-Varr wasn't back. As useful as he was on the team, she didn't need his drama. Looking out the window, she saw -- what the -- "Loki?" Kate opened the door.

Loki stepped inside and spread his arms out wide. "It is I, Loki King of Jotunheim and Hero of Midgard." In contrast to all the fanfare, Loki was dressed in jeans and a green t-shirt. Kate found it vaguely disconcerting and almost charming. 

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"Announcing myself, of course."

"I know who you are, Loki." Kate stood aside so he could step into the room. "Does anyone not know who you are?"

"I'm sure there are a few unfortunate individuals scattered across the realms that have yet to hear the glory of my name."

"Uh, huh." This was exactly what Kate did not need right now. Despite her best judgment, Kate led Loki to the dining room where the rest of the team was still eating. 

"Loki!" Gwen jumped up on her chair and waved her arms up in the air.

Loki bowed in Gwen's direction. "What an appreciative team you have."

"Loki's been around since the golden age of comics. He's a major guest star -- or maybe this is a crossover," Gwen said far too rapidly. Maybe Kate needed to start regulating her caffeine consumption. Kate shook her head. Why did she have to be the grownup? 

"Gwen, sit down," Quentin said. 

Gwen stuck her tongue out at him. Quentin sighed and added, "please." Which amazingly seemed to do the trick because Gwen actually sat down.

"I have to admit that was a much warmer, yet more perplexing welcome than I had been anticipating," Loki said. 

"Don't mind Gwen, she's --" Kate started.

"Crazy," mumbled Clint.

"Special," piped in Quentin. 

"Not from this world," offered Loki.

"How did you know?" Kate asked.

"I am a god as well as a sorcerer of significant talent," Loki said.

"And extremely full of yourself, don't forget that," America added.

"Not that it isn't nice to see you again Loki, but why are you here?" Kate took another bite of her pizza, she really needed the fuel. 

L.A. had been a mess. Tech had been on the fritz. Intermittently failing and frying random electronics. It was happening often enough to become a problem. Add to that the frequent blackouts and increased crime levels and strange magical occurrences -- well none of them had been getting a lot of down time, let alone actual sleep -- and her boyfriend had left her, don't forget that. Johnny had told her that he needed space to figure out who he was and where he fit in this crazy superhero world. She couldn't really blame him, but that didn't stop it from hurting either. He'd left before tech had gone all wonky. Kate wondered if he and Ramone would have stayed if the shit had started hitting the fan just a little bit sooner.

"I want to be an Avenger," Loki said, shaking Kate out of her reverie.

"You're on the wrong coast," Clint said.

"I want to join this team of Avengers -- here," Loki said.

"Awesome!" Gwen was practically dancing in her seat. 

"Why?" Kate said, her hands on her hips.

Loki's expression turned serious. "I would prefer to stay on the hero's road, and for me to do that I need to continue to commit heroic acts. What better way to do that, than on a team?"

"Why us?" Kate asked.

"I bet his solo comic was canceled," Gwen said.

"Is she quite alright?" Loki asked.

Kate shrugged. "No one's really sure." 

"I bet Stark told him no," Clint said.

"I understand the area has been experiencing fluctuations in magical energies," Loki said.

"The what now?" Kate had no idea what he was talking about.

"The technological failures you've been experiencing in this area, as of late seem to be connected to variations and surges of magical current."

Kate stared at Loki, her mouth open. "Is that what's going on? Magic fluctuations?" What did that even mean?

"Yes, and you are in desperate need of someone well versed in the art of magic." 

He wasn't wrong about that. They weren't exactly a magic heavy crew. Like, at all. "And you're here just offering your services free of charge?" It seemed too good to be true, didn't it?

"I want to be on the team -- I want to be on this team. I'm a sorcerer which you are currently in need of -- It's a win-win situation."

"It's a situation alright," Clint said.

Could she afford to turn Loki away? She'd lost three team members in less than three months and now there was this magic thing. None of them were particularly skilled in that area, but Loki was trouble. So much trouble. He was also very knowledgable when it came to magic and like an actual god. She'd be an idiot to turn him down. Yet --

"Did I mention that I come with funding?" Loki asked.

"You -- what?" Kate wasn't sure what was going on here.

"Kate this is a bad idea. You know what Loki's like," America said.

Kate held up her hand to silence her best friend and felt vaguely guilty about it. 

"You said something about money. What makes you think we need money?" Kate asked. They happen to be in desperate need of money. With the tech only working intermittently the camera crew had left, taking their funding with them. At least they still had their headquarters, but they also had bills. A lot of bills. If Loki had a solution she wasn't going to say no. She couldn't afford to.

"I'm sorry, I presumed that with your little camera people gone you were looking for alternative funding, was I wrong?"

Kate should have known Loki would be up to date on their situation. It had been all over the news. "What's the funding?" 

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Me. I have the funds, I am a king after all."

Kate sighed and looked around at what remained of her team. America looked angry, Clint seemed doubtful or maybe he wasn't even paying attention, it was difficult to tell the difference. Gwen and Quentin both looked ecstatic. Yeah, this was such a bad idea. She held her hand out and Loki took it in his. "You're in," Kate said as they shook on it.

\---------

Later America cornered her in the sparring room. "I think you're making a mistake, Princess."

"Well, it's my mistake to make."

"Loki can't be trusted. He betrays literally everyone."

"I don't know if that's actually true." Everyone was a lot of people.

"It's true, it's who he is -- what he does. He's even betrayed us before -- back on our old team. You do remember that, don't you, or have you fallen off one too many buildings?"

"I remember. Loki didn't have his full powers then," Kate pointed out.

"Exactly. And now he's full up on god juice and even more dangerous."

"God juice?"

"Sorry, it sounded better in my head," America said.

"I forgive you." Kate sighed. "I know there is the potential for betrayal here, but I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Loki deserves a chance and we need him. Who else is going to help us with both the magic stuff and our money issues?"

"You sure your judgment isn't clouded?"

Kate didn't like the sound of that. "Why would my judgment be clouded?"

"I know Johnny leaving hit you pretty hard --"

Kate interrupted, "No, don't you dare. This has nothing to do with Johnny leaving -- or Noh-Varr leaving. It has nothing to do with anyone leaving and everything to do with the fact that the city -- my city -- is in trouble. We don't even know if it's going to stop here. What if it spreads? What if this magic thing starts knocking out the tech everywhere? What if it stays that way? What's going to happen then? It'll be so bad -- like end-times bad."

"But on the plus side -- no more evil robots," said America.

Kate laughed. "Well, there is that."

"I'm sorry. I get it, Loki's a necessary evil and you're the boss and you have to make the tough decisions. So yay, new team member!" 

"Yay?" Kate agreed?


End file.
